For the price of a midrange DVD player, the JVC TH-C20 home theater system gives you a five-disc DVD changer and a complete home theater speaker system. This package won't blow you away with its audio reproduction, but considering the lengthy feature list and MSRP of $300, the TH-C20 represents an excellent value.

In addition to its compatibility with DVD-Video, the TH-C20 can handle high-resolution DVD-Audio, which is not a common feature in this price range. The changer is also able to play DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD and CD-R/RW, as well as MP3, WMA, JPEG and DivX files from either CD or DVD. If you burn WMA files to recordable DVD, the TH-C20 potentially lets you listen to days and days worth of music without exchanging a disc. For even more listening options, this home theater system has a USB connection for connecting an MP3 player.

The TH-C20 works well with DVD movies, as it has a progressive scan output and built-in processing for DTS, Dolby Digital and Dolby Pro Logic II. The amplifier pushes a substantial 135 watts per channel into five channels, and the 6-5/16-inch subwoofer has an amplifier that provides an additional 135 watts. We only wish the warranty included 1-year coverage for labor. Despite this shortcoming, the TH-C20 home theater system is still a capable package with an outstanding price.

Pros:  DVD-Audio playback, powerful amplifier, USB connection, great price
Cons:  Audio quality is only average, short labor warranty

Warranty
90 days labor, 1 year parts